This recipe is inspired by one that appeared in Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian. You can prepare this dish ahead of time, store it in the fridge, then heat through when you are ready to serve. This casserole creates and interesting consistency, once you lift it out of the pan, it separates and becomes more of a hearty rice dish. It also works well reheated as leftovers.

I used a bourbon chipotle hot sauce in this version and it added a nice smoky flavor to the dish. You can just choose your favorite hot sauce and season to your liking.

Put oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until onion is translucent (about 3 minutes). Add chilies, corn, spices and stir. Cook a few minutes to start heating up the corn for about a minute or two. Take mixture off the heat and let it cool off.

In another bowl add cooked rice, sour cream, and hot sauce and stir to combine. Stir the cheddar cheese into the mixture.